South Korea revitalizes abandoned schools with new community facilities
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The South Korean government will invest 12 billion won to transform seven closed schools into community hubs, including AI education centers, parks, and ecological experience facilities.
Declining student numbers have led to school closures across the country, and officials are now seeking ways to repurpose these buildings to address local depopulation. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior and Safety jointly selected the seven projects, marking their first collaborative effort to reuse closed schools.
Five of the chosen schools belong to local education boards, while two are owned by local governments. The projects aim to create diverse facilities such as “talking schools” featuring AI that responds to questions based on school history, and centers for climate and energy education.
Several schools will highlight local characteristics, with one in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, building a space for traditional yellow earth therapy, and another in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, establishing a kimchi studio and local food lab. Other planned changes include converting a school in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, into a complex cultural space with an indoor playground and park golf course, and transforming a school in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, into an eco-healing garden and local market.
Government officials reviewed twelve proposed projects, assessing their necessity, feasibility, and potential for expansion before selecting the seven winning proposals. Along with financial support, the selected regions will receive consulting and promotional assistance, with the government planning to share successful models nationwide.
